128 INDIANA HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS 

 Weather, Crops, &c. in Indiana. 



[Albany Cultivator, 7:64; Apr., 1840] 



[February 28, 1840] 



Editors of the Cultivator — Heavy peals of thunder 

 are now rattling over our heads. This has been a re- 

 markable month. But little snow has fallen, and none 

 laying on the ground. The weather has been, for some 

 days, much like April or May — frost nearly all out, and 

 ground so dry that some plows have been started. This 

 is very unusual for so high a latitude as 41-2, even in 

 the West. The months of December and January were 

 very steady cold, and good sledding nearly the whole 

 time. The first snow fell while the ground was yet soft ; 

 consequently, the roots of the wheat have been kept in 

 fine order, and the crop now is exceedingly promising. 

 There is still an immense quantity of the last crop in the 

 hands of the growers, at 50 cents a bushel. 



As the great Western Prairies began to furnish this 

 staple to the east, it will soon be time for farmers there 

 to turn their attention to other products. For, as here 

 no regard is paid to the preservation of the quality of the 

 soil, while its present quality lasts the eastern farmer 

 cannot compete with the western wheat grower. 



You would suppose that some imagine that this soil 

 can never deteriorate, to see them moving their stables 

 to a new location, on account of the accumulations of 

 manure, and setting fire to immense piles of straw "to 

 get it out of the way." But such are the facts. You 

 can easily imagine how long the best soil will last under 

 such a system of cultivation. 



The December number of the Cultivator is just re- 

 ceived. I cannot speak in too exalted terms of him whom 

 so many thousands will delight to keep in remembrance, 

 by looking upon his fine intellectual face. 1 



My warmest wish, gentlemen, is that you may be 

 enabled to fill his editorial chair, with honor and credit 



1 An engraved portrait of Jesse Buel, late editor of the Culti- 

 vator, was sent out with the December issue. Cultivator, 6:193. 



